Airplane



Oct. 17, 1939. c. TWINING 2,176,476

AIRPLANE Filed July 21, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 l VENTOR ATTORNEYS Oct. 17, 1939; c. TWINING 2,176,476

AIRPLANE Filed July 21, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 NVENTOR 444,10 \l/(fi/AAI? ATTORNEYS 5 of the airplane.

Patented'Oct. 11, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT orrlce Charles Twining, Garden City, Long Island, N. Y. Application 21, 1937, Serial No. 154,742 (a. 244-56) This invention relates to airplanes.

The relation between the wing chord of an airplane and the propeller axis is an important factor in determining the operation characteristics I Incertain flight conditions, one relationship is desirable, while in other flight conditions a different relationship is desirable. In a long flight, different conditions prevail at different times and heretofore it has been cusli) tomary to select a relationship which will supply the lift necessary to raise the airplane and its fuel supply into the air but which reduces the efliciency after the airplane is in flight and especially after its weight has been lessened be- 15 cause of fuel consumption.

An object of this invention is to support the propeller on the fuselage in such manner that the relationship between the wing chord and propeller axis may be varied at will while the airso plane is in full flight and a further object is to make the propeller support of such construction that the relationship between the air plane longitudinal axis and the propeller axis may also be varied under the same conditions.

In an airplane embodying the invention, the proper relationship of the propeller axis to meet any condition may be effected at any time during flight. At the start of a flight, the propeller axis may be set to give maximum lifting effect and then after the airplane has gotten well into the air, the propeller axis may be changed while in flight to the position .which will give maximum traction efl'ect.

Likewise when landing, the relationship of the propeller axis may be varied to meet landing conditions. The proper position of the propeller axis to give the desired effect will depend somewhat upon the type of airplane, the number'of propellers and their location on the airplane,

40 but whatever may be the desired relation of the propeller axis to meet a given condition, such relationship can be easily and accurately effected with the airplane in flight. Also an increase in maneuverability results from the ability to change the angular relationship between the propeller axis and the longitudinal axis of the airplane. e

Other objects, novel features and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following specification and accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a monoplane having the propeller mounted at the nose of the p fuselage in accordance with the invention;

from there passes through i6 to the cabin where its other end is attached 'Fig; 2 is an enlarged vertical section through the engine and propeller assembly;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of such assembly;

Fig. 4 is a section substantially on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the engine supporting means, and

Figs. 6 to 11 inclusive illustrate different arrangements of engine propeller assemblies on airplanes.

Referring now more especially to Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive, ill is the fuselage of the airplane and l l the wing while i2 is the landing gear. To the nose of the fuselage is attached a ring l3 having l5 has pintles l6 journalied in the ends of the frames I4, the frames l4 and pintles l5 being-so arranged that the axis of the pintles is horizontal. Within the ring i5 is arranged an engine apair of forwardly extending frames M. A ring 1 i! which is provided with a pair of stub shafts I8 journalled' in the ring I5 about a vertical axis. The engine ll preferably is of standard radial type having its crank shaft suitably connected to a compound propeller shaft l9 to which are attached the propellers 20 and 2i, which are,

bracket 29 mounted on the ring l5 meshes with the gear teeth of such segments.

A flexible shaft 30 is attached at one end to the worm 28 and to a hand wheel 3|. Rotation of the hand wheel 3! is effective to cause rotation ofthe engine propeller assembly about the axis of the stub shafts l8.

By proper operation of the handwheels 26 and 3| any desired angular relationship of the propeller axis within certain limits may be obtained. The worm and worm wheel arrangement pro- A flexible shaft 25 is connected 80 fixed to the end of one 85 the remaining pintle vides sufficient mechanical advantage to overcome the gyroscopic stability inherent in the rotating propeller and shaft so that the position of the propeller axis may be changed while it is rotating at maximum speed. Also, the worm acts as a lock to-maintain the engine propeller 66 ;plane, both of the propellers being mounted at the leading edge .of the wing and one at either side ot thejuselage. In this figure, one of the propellers is *shown' as being arranged withits axis in angular relation to'the longitudinal axis of the airplane. Figs. 9 and 10 illustrate in side elevation an airplane having one or more propellers supported from the top of the wing. In Fig. 9, one relationship of propeller axis is illustrated, while in Fig. 10 diflerent relationship is shown. Fig. 11, which is a side elevation of an airplane, shows the propeller mounted on the ,wing below the leading edge and with the propeller axis at an angle with respect to the wing chord. Fig. 12 illustrates in front elevation, an airplane having a, pair of propellers mounted above the wing and a second pair mounted below the wing. One of the propellers isshown with its axis tilted upwardly while the other three are shown with their axes approximately parallel to the-main axis of the airplane.

With respect to the arrangments illustrated in Fgs. 7 to 12. inclusive, it is to be understood that the adjusting means shown in detail in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive, areprovided even though they are omitted from Figs. 7 to 12 for the sake of clean. -ness. The particular advantages of the difierent arrangements shown will be apparent to anyone skilled in the art and need not be discussed further herein. Figs. 7 to 12 are merely illustrative of some adaptations of the invention and it is to be understood that many other adaptations are possible, which adaptations will suggest themselves to' anyone skilled in the art of airplanes.

I claim:

1. In an airplane, a frame, a ring having diametrically opposed pintles journalled in said frame, an engine and propeller assembly having diametrically opposed stud shafts journalled in said ring, a first segmental gear fixed to one of said pi'ntles and a second segmental gear fixed to one-of said st'ud shafts, a first worm supported by said frame in mesh with said first gear and a second worm supported by said ring in mesh with said second gear, a first flexible shaft attached at one end to said first worm, a second flexible shaft attached at one end to said second worm and passing through one of'said ring pintles and cranks attached tothe remaining ends of said shafts.

2. In. an airplane, a frame, a ring having diametrically opposed pintles journalled in said frame, an engine and propeller assembly having I diametrically opposed stud shafts journalled in said rii'ig, a segmental gear fixed to one of said stud shafts, a worm supported by said ring in mesh with said gear, a flexible shaft attached at one end to said worm and passing through one of'sald pintles, and a crank attached to the remaining end of said flexible shaft.

CHARLES TWINING. 

